All of us at The REVIEW are excited to be returning to Bay City to present this year’s 37th Annual REVIEW Music Awards Celebration within the spacious historical ambiance of The WESTOWN Theater, 611 E. Midland St. on Sunday, April 30th! Doors will open at 4:00 PM and the Awards Celebration will run from 5:00 PM until approximately 11:30 PM.
Since its inception, the Review Music Awards has grown in both stature and recognition throughout the state of Michigan, presenting an exceptional evening where we turn the spotlight on our area’s top musical artists in genres of Jazz, Blues, Rock, Country, Hip-Hop and Alternative music as determined by readers and fans throughout the region.
The nomination and voting for this year’s 2023 Music Awards Celebration was conducted between February & March of this year with an unprecedented number of 5,540 votes cast and 1,133 musicians either from or performing regularly throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region nominated. Only the top five nominees in each division moved on from the nomination round to the final round, where the winners will be announced at this year’s awards celebration in over 60 different categories!
Invitations have gone out to all the nominees and only 250 tickets will be available for purchase so the public can attend, enjoy, celebrate, and mingle with their favorite musicians who were nominated at this year’s special ceremony.
This is the only awards ceremony of its kind that connects people, audiences and artists together insofar as the public at large determines the honorees & recipients. But most importantly, the purpose of this celebration is to bring greater community, statewide, and national recognition to local talent, which we feel has a rich history of being one of the strongest in the state, and giving it the proper notoriety and attention that it deserves.
Guest personalities, cultural, and community leaders will assist in handing out awards the night of the ceremony, while a strong list of regional performers will headline this year’s show with live performances.
Tickets are only $20.00 in advance, and $25.00 at the door, or you can purchase a block of six table tickets for only $90.00. Food will be available at Lucky’s, which is connected to The WESTOWN, and advance tickets are now on sale in Saginaw at REVIEW Magazine, White's Bar, Records & Tapes Galore, Cork & Ale, The Listening Room, Hamilton St. Pub, Old Town Junction; Bay City: The Westown & Lucky's, Electric Kitsch, Herter Music, Puff Dispensary, Voodoo Tattoo; Midland: Radio Wasteland, MI Element, and Tim Boychuck's State Farm Insurance.
They can also be purchased online by clicking this link.
Here’s a complete schedule & itinerary of the festivities so that you can better plan for this unique afternoon & evening of exceptional entertainment!
A retrospective of musical history in the making that spans performance highlights and special moments from the past 36 years of The Review Music Awards.
Review Magazine Publisher & Editor Robert E. Martin welcomes nominees and attendees and recaps the voting procedure utilized for this year’s celebration.
5:10 - 5:25 PM • Jazz Awards
Best Male Vocalist • Best Female Vocalist • Best Jazz Songwriter • Best Jazz Musician • Best Small Combo • Best Big Band
This energetic and focused posse of eclectic musical marauders is fronted by vocalist & songwriter Lori Keisler, guitarist Roger Marchbanks, drummer Eric DiAigle, and respected veteran bassist Sean Drysdale (formerly with The Banana Convention and currently also with The CDF Band). The group has been traveling from their newly established base in Detroit and proving themselves to be one of the hardest working bands on the regional circuit. Performing a strong mix of original material as well as popular songs spanning a range that moves from Bluesy Indie-Rock to Folk and Americana, in addition to the fans they’ve been accumulating through their live gigs, the group has also gained traction on all the popular streaming platforms with their debut EP Gratitude (Side A) and videos for their singles In Time and Chocolate Covered Blueberries.
Best Country Video • Country Female Vocalist • Country Male Vocalist • Best Country Musician/Instrumentalist • Best Country Songwriter • Best Country Band
Michelle O’Neil is a talented & gifted vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter creating music that is a complex blend of contradiction consisting of deeply personal and introspective songwriting mixed with a carefully controlled vocal range that can milk the last tear of sadness from a note in one moment, only to soar to the stratosphere with power and confidence the next. Having performed throughout the region for nearly a decade now as a solo artist and also as a duo with her musical partner Melissa Curry, Michelle has reached a new milestone in her career with the release of her first album of original compositions. Titled Happiness Is Real and recorded and produced by Andy Reed at Reed Recording Studio, the 14-songs featured on this amazing debut chronicle a roller coaster ride of musical achievement ranging from overcoming deep personal conflict to celebrating the durability, power, and wisdom of love. This group has only played together once before at their album release show in February and in addition to Michelle consists of Cody Busch (electric guitar); Melissa Curry (Vocals); Todd Miller (drums); Joe Balbaugh (bass) and Loren Kranz (keyboards).
Best Solo Artist • Best New Single Release • Best New Artist of the Year • Best Multi-Instrumentalist • Most Innovative Artist • Best Music Video • Best Live Streaming Performance • Best Duo • Best Weekly or Monthly Streaming Musical Series • Best Band Website • Best Recording Studio
A small private event nearly ten years ago brought blues harmonica player and vocalist, Papa Kiszka and jazz bass player, Mark "The Moose '' VanVoorhees together to form the Voortex Jazz & Blues Band. Collectively they have been able to bring together a devastating combination of musicians that captivate audiences by delivering the best of traditional blues, jump blues, jazz, and electric blues classics. This hardworking band has had the privilege of performing at venues and festivals throughout Michigan including opening for Blues legend Larry McCray, and Chicago Blues Hall of Famer John Watkins. The Group’s current line-up consists of: Kelly “Papa” Kiszka: Vocals, Harmonica (formerly with No Vacancy, Monday Night Blues Band); Mark “The Moose” VanVoorhees: Band Leader, Stand-up Bass, Electric Bass (nearly 4 decades of performing with jazz and swing bands); Chuck Edwards: Keyboard, Vocals (formerly with The Temptations, The Coasters, The Platters, The Supremes); Stevie “Magic Hands” Nyquist: Drums, Vocals (formerly with Sprout); Rhett Yocum: Guitar, Vocals (currently with The Rhett Yocum Blues Band and Loxodon). Special guest with us tonight is Jeff Grassl, Saxophone
A formidable Bay City-based musician who has helped shaped the sound of numerous bands over the expanse of his 30-plus year career, Jeff successfully developed and has staged the annual Band Roulette showcase - an innovative fundraiser benefitting numerous non-profit musical-based organizations throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. Prior recipients of this honor include: Larry McCray, Sonny Stitt, Michael Brush, and the late Al Limberg.
Best Radio Station • Best Musical Fundraising Project • Best Sound Technician • Best Videographer • Best Live Streaming Production • Best Metal Band • Best New Album or CD Release • Best Alternative Band • Best Variety Band • Best Original Band
One of our evening’s exceptional musical highlights is this rare collaborations between stellar guitarists Aaron Johnson & Matt Besey and keyboardist/vocalist Stephanie Noel Howland, who have forged strong reputations throughout the region over the past 20-years, securing numerous trophies at previous Awards Celebrations not only for their virtuoso technical skills, but the unique manner in which they are able to construct, build, and improvise upon both established and popular musical material, but also weave together fresh inroads and renderings that draw upon multiple musical disciplines of Jazz, Blues, R&B, Soul, and Rock.
Best Blues Video • Female Blues Vocalist • Male Blues Vocalist • Blues Songwriter • Blues Instrumentalist • Best Funk Band • Best Blues Band
WinaSchnitzel is an alternative rock band from Bay City, founded by the brother and sister duo, Shannon and Steven Schnettler Now a 4 piece band including additional members Hayden Holzel and Connor Larkin, the group secured a triple-crown of honors at last year’s Awards Celebration when they secured the honor of being voted Best Rock Band, Best Alternative Band and Best Original Band. They plan to perform originals from their new EP, and potentially a fun cover at this year’s performance.
Best Rap/Hip Hop Video • Best Promoter • Best DJ • Rap/Hip Hop Artist of the Year • Best Rap Hip Hop Songwriter
Consisting of Clayton Singer, Chase Singer, David Hansen, and Cade Lambert, this group is an Alternative Rock Powerhouse with roots in Funk, Classic Rock, Blues, Indie Rock, and Grunge. The band has been together for 5 years, composed of two Brothers and two cousins. So far they have an EP (Headspace), along with an album (Nomad) available on all streaming platforms. There’s also a full length album on the way!
Best Rock Video • Best Rock Keyboardist • Rock Female Vocalist • Rock Male Vocalist • Best Rock Songwriter • Best Rock Drummer • Best Rock Bassist • Best Rock Guitarist • Best Rock Band
Kush Robinson is a psychedelic rock band that will be performing a mix of originals and covers. They enjoy giving their members creative freedom to voice the music in their own way so the band comes together as an original sound. They see each song as a framework for using their imaginations to uniquely decorate each song they perform in their own way. The group consists of Josh Muehlfeld - guitar/vocals; Kyle O’Keefe - bass/vocals; Mac Schaper - drums; Adonis Freiman - trumpet/percussion; Dillon King - keyboard; and Joe Gerring - guitar/synth/vocals. .
info@review-mag.com
989-780-4162
Apr 06, 2023
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